HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL: Mesday, Asante are Falzone winners

WEST WINDSOR — If you need any further truth that winning footballbegins in the trenches, look no further than Steinert’s Enock Asanteand Nottingham’s Zack Mesday.

Asante and Mesday were both presented the Charles J. “Fuzzy” FalzoneMemorial Award as the Co-Linemen of the Year Tuesday night by the 12thMan Touchdown Club and the Benevolent Order of Falzone. The ceremonywas held Tuesday night at Mercer County Marina.

“I was very excited,” Asante said, about his reaction to the honor. “Iworked really hard in the offseason, as hard as I could, and thistells me that it came through.

Mesday echoed those sentiments.

“Last year, nobody really knew about me and I just worked hard everyday,” he added. “To win this is really an honor.”

Both players have also led their teams to big playoff successes. Lastseason, Asante helped power Steinert to Central Jersey Group IIIfinals appearance in which the Spartans lost to Neptune 47-28 atRutgers.

In this year’s final, Mesday and the Northstars will try to extractsome Mercer County revenge on the Scarlet Fliers Saturday afternoon atTCNJ. If Nottingham wins, it will be the first state championship fora Mercer County team since Notre Dame in 1989.

Speaking from experience, Asante had a little advice for hisNottingham counterpart in terms of dealing with the pressure of thebig game.

“Don’t get too excited,” Asante said with a laugh. “There is going tobe a whole bunch of people and you won’t be used to it, but it’ll bejust like a regular game. He’ll be good.”

To be considered the best lineman in Mercer County, you generally needto help your team on both sides of the football. Both Asante andMesday said they took pride in doing just that.

“It helps me out playing offense too, because I know how the defenseworks and what moves they are going to do,” Mesday said.

Needless to say, both players’ coaches had nothing but praise for their stars.

“It’s very hard to describe in words how special he’s been to ourprogram,” Nottingham defensive coordinator Frank Gatto said aboutMesday, who transferred to the school from Bordentown after hissophomore season. “Sometimes when someone transfers into a school, itcan be a difficult transition. It wasn’t for Zack.”

It was the same for Asante’s coach at Steinert, Dan Caruso.

“Simply put, Enock is the best lineman I’ve ever coached,” he said.“He’s got to be on of the best linemen in our history.”

Perhaps more importantly, however, It was clear that Asante and Mesdayhad the respect of not only their own coaches, but of all the coachesin the conference. Many of the other CVC coaches that spoke at theevent said that they would change their game plans to account forwhere Asante or Mesday was lined up on the field.

“You play the way the game is supposed to be played.” Hamilton coachTom Hoglen said.

Both players look to be headed to the next level. Asante has verballycommitted to UMass, while Mesday has been in contact with Maine,Sacred Heart and Lafayette.

Mesday is the first Northstar to claim the award since Paul Figueroain 2005. Colin Ferrell last won the award for Steinert in 2001. Lastyear’s winner was Notre Dame’s Jimmy King.